Shimmer Tail

Chapter One

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in here except Carla, the mermaids, and the story plot.

                                                             ~CHAPTER ONE~

            Night fell upon the quiet bay gradually. The sky diminished its burning sunset to a rich mauve, and the calm sea turned an inky black. A gentle breeze rolled over the horizon, rippling the water’s surface and whistling through the mountainside. Serenity seemed to manifest everywhere. A long distance out to sea, a whale breached the water for a breath of air before returning to its wet abode.

            The white, sandy beach was uninhabited, save for a few scuttling hermit crabs. The wind gave the sand a rippled affect, creating layer-like crevices. The whistling wind grew louder. Intermingled with the wind was another sound. It was soft, yet perfectly distinguishable. The tune sounded almost unearthly, the way it was so haunting. The lovely pitch was enchanting, making one want to laugh and cry and scream at the same time. Yet it also had a pulling effect, almost like a magnet. A couple of the hermit crabs moved toward the ocean. The waves rolled up greatly, and sucked the crustaceans into the sea. Out further, gigantic waves swelled and burst over one another. In the hazy fog that now enveloped the bay, several tails flicked just above the water.

                                                                         o0o

            Jeanette was sitting on a hill near the beach. She wore a one-piece bathing suit, colored purple with a ruffled hem. Her deep green eyes were magnified by her round, purple glasses. She stared out into the ocean, watching the waves roll in. She sighed, calmed by the serenity of the ocean. This side of the bay was not regularly visited by other pedestrians, and this was one of those wonderful times when she and her friends could have the beach all to themselves.

            The ocean gently tossed its waves against the shore. Its hypnotic rhythm entranced Jeanette, and she soon found herself rocking back and forth in time with the beating waves. Suddenly, the waves grew stronger, pounding the sandy beach. The sky grew grey and cloud-infested. The water became murky, as if an inkwell full of dark green ink had been dumped into the sea. Wind whipped her hair and flung sand into her face. Mournful voices filled her ears, all of them joining in the same unnatural tune. Jeanette turned around, coming face-to-face with a woman, her face contorted with anger.

“Jeanette!”

            Said Chipette blinked twice. She found facing her, instead of a scary witch, a familiar bespectacled chipmunk.

“Oh, hi Simon!” Simon was wearing blue swimming trunks, along with dark blue flip-flops. His grey eyes looked worried behind his glasses.

“Are you okay, Jeanette?”

“Oh, yeah, I-I’m fine.”

            Simon still looked a little worried, but he stood up anyway. Jeanette got up, too. She looked at the bay uncertainly, but there were no storm clouds, no dark water, no violent waves. Everything was just as calm as it had been before. If Simon had seen her anxious glance, he gave no notice. They walked down to the beach, where they met up with Alvin, Brittany, Theodore, Eleanor, and Carla, whose father managed the hotel they were staying in.

            The beach scene was a cheery one: Brittany lounging in her beach chair, Theodore and Eleanor making a sand castle, Carla reading under an umbrella, and Alvin…well, Alvin was being Alvin. Simon suggested looking for shells, and Jeanette agreed. They waded into the water, splashing each other’s feet and letting the waves roll over their ankles.

            For quite a while they hunted for shells, and there was a humorous encounter with a hermit crab. Jeanette had been looking at a few sand dollars when Simon gave a loud yelp of surprise. Everyone looked over, even Brittany, to see Simon desperately trying to pry a hermit crab from his finger. They all had a good laugh, except Simon, who had to go back to the hotel to treat his wounded hand. Jeanette had asked to accompany him, but he promised he’d be right back.

            While Simon was gone, Jeanette continued her search for shells. She found a small rock pool, inhabited only by a starfish and another hermit crab. She was about to look somewhere else, when something glittery caught her eye. She bent down, and while carefully avoiding the hermit crab, cleared away some of the rocks. She gasped at what she found.

            There was a small comb stuck in the sand beneath the rocks. It was long and white, with five teeth, and pearls lining the sides. The handle sparkled with gold. Jeanette stared at it, wide eyed, for a full minute. Then she slowly reached out and touched the handle. Tingling warmth shot through her arm, and she withdrew her hand quickly. After a moment, she touched it again, this time grabbing it and enclosing it in her fist.

“What’s that?”

            Jeanette jumped, and turned to see Simon standing there. He held up his hands in mild surprise.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay. Here, look what I found!” She showed Simon the comb. His jaw dropped slightly, and Jeanette could’ve sworn his pupils got larger.

“I-It’s beautiful,” he whispered.

            They continued to mull over the comb’s origin. It couldn’t possibly be a natural shell. Perhaps it had washed up on the beach a long time ago, or maybe someone had dropped it here. Simon smiled to himself when Jeanette’s eyes lit up with the idea of it being an old heirloom from a shipwreck. He loved the way her eyes shone like that, even behind her glasses. At one point, Jeanette almost stepped on the hermit crab, and she grabbed Simon’s arm for balance. He blushed at this touch; but why? He wondered.

            Jeanette decided that the comb would be a secret between her and Simon only. That night, she put the comb beneath her pillow. With one final glance at the beautiful comb, she drifted off to sleep.